Back support and life preserver



Dec. 8, 1964 N. COVACEVICH BACK SUPPORT AND LIFE PRESERVER Filed July 2, 1962 INVENTOR. NICOLAS COVACEV ICH ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,159,854 BACK SUPPORT AND LIFE PRESERVER Nicolas Covacevich, Mexico City, Mexico (Viena 56, Coyoacan 21, D.F., Mexico) Filed E1113; 2, 1962, Ser. No. 266,640 7 Claims. (Ci. 9-312) This invention relates in general to back supports for use in boats and in particular to a quickly and easily installed back support attachable to any one of various locations in a boat, and usable in certain forms not only as an auxiliary cushion but as an emergency life preserver as well.

Insofar as I am aware there is nothing in the prior art which shows a detachable back rest, universally adaptable to any boat, having elastic qualities to give with movements of the users body; capable of use as a resilient seat cushion and as a life preserver when the occasion demands, and yet extremely portable and stowable in a fishing tackle box or in other luggage if necessary.

Designed primarily for sportsmen who sit by the hour in boats and who must have freedom of movement when casting, etc., the primary object of my invention is to provide a pliable back rest quickly attachable either to a special clamp easily secured along the gunwales of the boat, or to a thwart or seat or in any one of many locations in a boat.

It is another object of the invention to form the pliable back member either as an inflatable member or as a pocket to receive either an inflatable member or a floatable resilient material to provide an emergency life preserver.

A further object of the invention is to provide elastic members between the pliable back member and the attachment means whereby the user of the back support will have freedom of movement while the back member remains in contact with his body.

Another object of the invention is to provide straps between the attachment means and the back support with provision for adjusting the length of the straps to adapt the back support to the user and to the location of suitable and fiy carrying members, or with a lifev vest of usual construction, the vest being inflatable or having pockets for reception of buoyant material; the invention being the attachment to such vest of elastic members securable to the boat by removable means.

The construction and manner of use of my invention as well as the preceding objects and the advantages will be better understood by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

' FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one form of my inven: ti-on in use by a sportsman in a boat.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of another form of the device showing more details of the invention from another angle.

PIG..3 is a top plan view of my invention in use on a boat, a fragmentary portion of which is shown.

FIG. 4 is a cross section through one form of my invention in which a filler is used for the back member.

FIG. is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the strap and quickly detachable catch arrangement forthe members on the boat for attachment of the back support 3,159,854 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference, 1 designates a pliable back member, which in one form, as shown in FIG. 1, may be asimple one layer piece of canvas, nylon, plastic or any other suitable pliable material, or it may be of any suitable elastic material of properly designed elastic qualities for the desired give under typical operating conditions.

In another form of the invention shown in FIG. 3 the pliable back member 1 may be formed as a sealed inflatable cushion with mouth inflation tube 2 and CO cartridge inflator 3. V

In still another form of my invention the pliable back member may be made a san envelope or pocket 1", with closure members 4 which may be snap buttons as shown, or a zipper or other slide fastener or the like. The pocket may receive an inflatable member 5 with mouth inflator 6 and CO cartridge inflator 7 extending from the envelope. In the latter form of my invention the pocket 1 may receive a floatable material 8 such as polystyrene, cork, kapok, or the like, and in a further modification form may be a permanent envelope with the floatable material 8 permanently enclosed, as shown in the section in FIG. 4.

Another form of my invention shown in FIG. 6 shows a back member comprising a fishermans vest or a vest type life jacket 111, and in all of these various forms of the back member, side straps 9 are secured with one end of each strap attached to the top and bottom of the back member or in the case of the vest or life jacket 111, to suitable spaced locations to provide good support.

The other end of straps 9 are joined at a common point 10, said straps being preferably nonelastic. A central elastic strap 11 joins at the common point 10 and has its other end secured to the back member or vest at 12, said strap 11 being of proper length and elasticity to give sutficiently with the movement of the user of the back support so that he will have freedom of movement when fishing and still have good support for his back, the limit of elasticity of strap 11 being about the length of the inelastic straps 9 which are normally not taut or fully extended unless the. device is being worn and the wearer is leaning backwards against the back member. In other than the vest form suitable shoulder straps 13 may be employed and may have adjustment means 14 whereby the back support will remain in proper position on the wearer at all times, although, in its simplest form, the shoulder straps need not be used.

At the junction 10 of straps 9 and 11 may be provided a quick release means formed of hook 15 and catch 16 of any suitable standard construction one side having a hook 15 and the other a catch 16 to be used as hereinafter specified.

From the hook 15 on one side and the catch 16 on the other side may extend strap 17 of suitable length and provided with lengthadjusting means 18, said straps each terminating with hook member 19. v

One manner of attaching my back support to the boat is to use suitable clamps 20 which may be secured to the gunwales 20 or any other part of the boat. An aperture 21 in the clamp is provided to receive the hook member 1?.

As shown in FIG. 3', another method of attaching the back support would be to encircle the seat or thwart 22 with the strap 17 and then attach hook member 19 around thestrap. The strap could also be secured in this manner to an oarlock. i In use, the back support in the simple form of a single layer of pliable material 1, orin inflatable form when deflated, may be rolled into a compact size for stowage in a tackle box or other container, and may be donned by the user and attached by means of straps 17 and hooks 19 to the special clamp 26, to the oarlocks, the thwarts, a seat, or any other suitable member in theboat. Initially,

the straps 17 and shoulder straps 13 may be adjusted and after being properly positioned the inflatable type may be inflated by mouth piece 2 or 6 or by C cartridge inflator 3 or 7.

All the forms of my back support except the simple, single layer type, may be used as an emergency life pre server by manipulating the quick release hooks 15 and catches 16 on the straps 17, and hooking catch 16 on one side with hook 15 on the other side.

Also, when it is desired to have a seat cushion, the filled or inflatable types of back supports may be detached and placed on the seat to serve as seat pads or cushions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised an extremely versatile and simple device primarily used for a back support but having great utility and usefulness as an emergency life preserver as well as a seat cushion. It can be compactly rolled to fit conveniently in a tackle box or luggage, or may be stored in a compartment in the boat.

Obviously, changes in form, proportion and details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention and I reserve all rights to such changes as come within the scope of these specifications and the claims which follow.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A back support for attachment to a boat, comprising a pliable back member,

saidback member extending transversely across the back of the wearer and being freely movable for vertical adjustment on said wearers back,

the ends of said pliable back member being normally free of the wearer,

each end of the pliable back member being provided with at least one strap extending therefrom,

an attachment member carried at the end of each strap for removably securing the straps and back support to the boat,

said attachment members being the sole means of attachment of the back member to the boat,

the pliable back member remaining free of the boat other than through the straps and their attachment members,

securing means between the pliable back member and the straps,

said securing means including means at each end of the pliable back member for securing the ends of the pliable back member about the wearer when detached from the straps and attached to each other.

2. The structure as specified in claim 1, said pliable back member being of substantially greater width than the straps extending therefrom, said straps each including a plurality of strap members for at least a portion thereof,

one end of each of the plurality of strap members con verging at respective common junctures,

the other end of each of the plurality of strap members being secured to the pliable back member in spaced relation to each other,

said securing means being carried at the converging end of each of the plurality of strap members and between said strap members and the first mentioned straps.

3. The structure as specified in claim 2, at least one strap member of each of the plurality of strap members on each side of the pliable back member being elastic,

the other strap members of each plurality of strap members being of a length substantially the same as the length of the elastic strap member when said elastic strap member is stretched to its normal elastic limit.

4. The structure as specified in claim 1, said securing means between each strap and the pliable back member comprising male and female components, said male and female components being in reverse order on opposite sides of the back member,

the male component on one side being receivable by the female component on the other side when the back member is detached from the straps which secure the back support to the boat.

5. The structure as specified in claim 1, said back support being rendered buoyant by inflation when used as an emergency life preserver.

6. The structure as specified in claim 1, including shoulder straps attached to the pliable back member.

7. A back support for attachment to a boat, comprising a pliable back member,

said back member possessing sufiicient buoyancy characteristics to support a person in the Water whereby the back member can serve as an emergency life preserver,

each end of the pliable back member being provided with at least one strap extending therefrom,

an attachment member carried at the end of each strap for removably securing the straps and back support to the boat,

securing means between the pliable back member and the straps,

said securing means including means at each end of the pliable back member for securing the ends of the pliable back member about the wearer when detached from the straps and attached to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 578,145 Girtler Mar. 2, 1897 1,117,528 Solomon Nov. 17, 1914 1,300,040 Stuart Apr. 8, 1919 1,478,239 Marengo Dec. 18, 1923 1,481,144 Pastor Jan. 15, 1924 1,504,916 Teiber Apr. 12, 1924 1,539,729 Gold May 26, 1925 1,706,090 Walcher Mar. 19, 1929 1,730,812 Ford Oct. 8, 1929 1,851,080 Becker Mar. 29, 1932 1,932,708 Phillips Oct. 31, 1933 2,005,463 Harryman June 18, 1935 2,724,133 Sorrell Nov. 22, 1955 2,803,023 Rosenberg Aug. 20, 1957 2,886,835 Moran May 19, 1959 3,022,524 Hultquist Feb. 27, 1962 

7. A BACK SUPPORT FOR ATTACHMENT TO A BOAT, COMPRISING A PLIABLE BACK MEMBER, SAID BACK MEMBER POSSESSING SUFFICIENT BUOYANCY CHARACTERISTICS TO SUPPORT A PERSON IN THE WATER WHEREBY THE BACK MEMBER CAN SERVE AS AN EMERGENCY LIFE PRESERVER, EACH END OF THE PLIABLE BACK MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE STRAP EXTENDING THEREFROM, AN ATTACHMENT MEMBER CARRIED AT THE END OF EACH STRAP FOR REMOVABLY SECURING THE STRAPS AND BACK SUPPORT TO THE BOAT, SECURING MEANS BETWEEN THE PLIABLE BACK MEMBER AND THE STRAPS, SAID SECURING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS AT EACH END OF THE PLIABLE BACK MEMBER FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF THE PLIABLE BACK MEMBER ABOUT THE WEARER WHEN DETACHED FROM THE STRAPS AND ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER. 